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Old 12th Jan 2017, 4:32 pm   #1
Mach One
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Default Old MK Illuminated Power Switch

I say old - I bought it with my pocket money sometime around 1971. Please see the attached picture of an MK illuminated power switch. It was the same shape as contemporary light switches back then (as the modern equivalent that I hastily procured yesterday still is) and I have treasured it since then. I lit the rather blackened internal neon (second picture) one last time for the record before sadly laying my defunct switch to rest.

It has been in regular use ever since as a mains breaker on an extension lead and was unfortunately broken yesterday. One of those things that would mean nothing to most people but I know that there are some of you UK Vin Radio people who were also faschinated by electrics as children and would appreciate my loss.

I'm so pleased that you can still get good quality plugs and things from MK. I have no idea if the modern versions are made as well but I avoid buying anything else.
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Old 12th Jan 2017, 5:54 pm   #2
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Default Re: Old MK Illuminated Power Switch

We had two like that for the immersion-heaters at my parents house.

MK stuff is still pretty much the best quality domestic gear you can get. MK are now owned by Honeywell (who I tend to associate with small/medium jet-engines and 1960s-era mainftame computers but most people associate with heating-thermostats...)
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Old 12th Jan 2017, 6:55 pm   #3
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Default Re: Old MK Illuminated Power Switch

Have known a few of those over the years, there was a time when all houses used either MK or Crabtree products, sadly not the case for some years.
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Old 12th Jan 2017, 8:01 pm   #4
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Default Re: Old MK Illuminated Power Switch

alot of the new MK switches now have 'made in malaysia' printed on them. Honeywell are luckily a respected American company. It wasn't so long ago that Crabtree were owned by a multinational too, (though essentially British) as were MK as part of Caradon before the Honeywell takeover. MK's once-rival Crabtree is now owned by German company Siemens. T'is the way of the world!
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Old 12th Jan 2017, 9:09 pm   #5
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Default Re: Old MK Illuminated Power Switch

Hi, I have one of these in my collection although it has a cable outlet on the front, but it's made by MEM not MK.
See pics. David.
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Old 12th Jan 2017, 11:00 pm   #6
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Default Re: Old MK Illuminated Power Switch

I was going to say MK's version had an angular rocker, whereas MEM's had a curved one. We had the non-illuminated MK one in the garage and the MEM one in the boxroom, when I lived at home.
MEM are also now part of an american conglomerate, namely Eaton Controls
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Old 13th Jan 2017, 12:30 am   #7
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Default Re: Old MK Illuminated Power Switch

I was rather disappointed with the standard of the MK cooker + 13A socket unit with neons that I bought for my son just before Christmas. Both the neons came loose during installation, and on pushing them back in, one of the red lenses popped out. No provision is made for holding the neons in place (although once installed I suppose none is needed), and the lenses are held in by woefully inadequate detents. When I posted a review on the Screwfix web site I noted that a number of people had had exactly the same experience with loose neons, although no-one else had experienced a red lens coming out. A pity I did not read the review first, but then the unit does match the MK 13A sockets (still made in the UK) that I got for him, and no complaint about their standard of construction ( although I did not get any switched neon sockets).
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Old 13th Jan 2017, 12:32 am   #8
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Default Re: Old MK Illuminated Power Switch

Well there then Kev. I was hoping someone else might know.
Just for completeness I connected it up so you can see it in all it's glory. Must be the first power up since new.
Also sorry for the couple of poor pics in the first post. I keep forgetting to select macro!
David.
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Old 13th Jan 2017, 10:33 pm   #9
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Default Re: Old MK Illuminated Power Switch

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mach One View Post
One of those things that would mean nothing to most people but I know that there are some of you UK Vin Radio people who were also faschinated by electrics as children and would appreciate my loss.
Yes indeed! I also used to save up to buy things like this, for which I had no immediate use, just the delight in having it to look at and operate, rather like a work of art. I'm afraid I still occasionally do the same sort of thing 50 years later.
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Old 14th Jan 2017, 12:15 am   #10
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Default Re: Old MK Illuminated Power Switch

The UK made MK stuff is still top-hole. After moving into the new workshop maybe 6-7 years ago and fitting cheap chinese double metalclad sockets, I'm now slowly changing them over to MK metalclad as the cheap ones get loose or the switches weld in. Buy cheap buy twice
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Old 14th Jan 2017, 6:48 pm   #11
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Default Re: Old MK Illuminated Power Switch

Quote:
Originally Posted by dseymo1 View Post
Yes indeed! I also used to save up to buy things like this, for which I had no immediate use, just the delight in having it to look at and operate, rather like a work of art. I'm afraid I still occasionally do the same sort of thing 50 years later.
So good to know I'm not the only one!!!
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Old 19th Jan 2017, 11:19 pm   #12
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Default Re: Old MK Illuminated Power Switch

Pretty sure the same face plate was used for various types of switch around that time...It might be possible to retrofit the illuminated gubbins from yours into another faceplate if you dig around for one for a while...

Pretty sure our old house had light switches with that shape of switch in the older side that hadn't been rewired.
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Old 20th Jan 2017, 10:47 am   #13
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Default Re: Old MK Illuminated Power Switch

It will stick back together, new neon and resistor - should keep going for a few years more.

Andy.
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Old 20th Jan 2017, 8:20 pm   #14
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Default Re: Old MK Illuminated Power Switch

I like MK stuff and always select it, even though they declined to employ me as management accountant at their factory (egatube) in the 1990s! My whole house is fitted with mk metalclad albany.
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Old 20th Jan 2017, 8:30 pm   #15
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Default Re: Old MK Illuminated Power Switch

A while back my local 99p-shop had a whole slew of MK "Avant" switches and socket-outlets on offer.

https://www.mkelectric.com/en-ar/Pro...s/default.aspx

Spotting a spectacular bargain I stocked-up, and am progressively fitting the switched 15A-with-neon versions on radial-circuits as I replace the legacy 13A ring-main outlets here.
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Old 21st Jan 2017, 4:55 pm   #16
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Default Re: Old MK Illuminated Power Switch

Quote:
Originally Posted by Dr Wobble View Post
It will stick back together, new neon and resistor - should keep going for a few years more.
The unit in question had become "unreliable" - I'm guessing dirty contacts. It was kind of due for replacement. But the suggestion was a good one...
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